A vehicle occupant classification system categorizes vehicle occupants into various classes such as adult, child, infant, etc. to provide variable control for a vehicle restraint system such as an airbag. The classification system utilizes sensors that are installed in various locations in the vehicle. The sensors are used to generate a three-dimensional profile for the vehicle occupant. Various factors can affect the accuracy of this three-dimensional profile. Fuzzy logic is used to reduce some of the inaccuracies by providing multiple decision levels for various stages of the classification. Inaccuracies are also caused by sensors shifting within the system from their original position. This condition creates offset and the system evaluates this offset and generates a correction factor to provide a more accurate three-dimensional profile. Electrically erasable programmable read-only memory is used to reduce complications and inaccuracies associated with seat occupant weight sensors that have mounting configurations that vary depending upon the vehicle.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a divisional of Ser. No. 10/321,997 filed on Dec. 17, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,823,959 which is a continuation of Ser. No. 09/900,282 filed on Jul. 6, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,870 which claims priority to provisional applications 60/217,579 filed on Jul. 12, 2000, 60/217,580 filed on Jul. 12, 2000, and 60/217,582 filed on Jul. 12, 2000.
A sensor system for determining at least one of the weight and the position of a seat occupant is provided, the sensor system comprising a control unit, at least two spaced measurement weight sensors, wherein each measurement weight sensor provides measurement weight sensor signals, and at least one virtual weight sensor provides virtual weight sensor signals, wherein the virtual weight sensor signals are calculated using the measurement weight sensor signals of at least one of the measurement weight sensors, and at least one of the weight and the position of the seat occupant is calculated using measurement weight sensor signals and the virtual weight sensor signals.
